Uber Rider App: Improve the Pickup Point the App Fills In Before a Trip Is Confirmed

You are a product manager at Uber and own the default pickup location: the pickup point the rider app fills in before a rider confirms a trip. How would you improve this feature? ```hint Follow one pickup Trace a single trip from the moment the rider opens the app until they are sitting in the car, and note each point where the pre-filled spot can fail the rider or the driver. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "default pickup location" mean the point the app infers from the phone's location, a place the rider saved (such as home or work) that is filled in every time, or both? - Should the improvement serve riders, drivers, or both, given that a bad pickup point costs both of them time? - Which outcome matters most: fewer cancellations, a shorter wait between the driver arriving and the trip starting, or higher rider satisfaction? - Is the scope global, including places with weak GPS signal or informal addresses, and large venues such as airports and stadiums? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A stated interpretation of the feature, and a chosen rider segment and pickup setting (dense downtown streets, large venues, suburban homes). - Pain points grounded in the pickup journey for both rider and driver, such as GPS drift, the wrong side of the street or a building with several entrances. - Prioritized solutions with reasons for the order, including at least one that improves the suggested point itself and one that helps rider and driver find each other. - Success metrics tied to pickup quality, with guardrails such as rider walking distance and safety. ### Follow-up Questions - A new suggestion model shortens the wait at the curb but makes riders walk farther. How would you decide whether that is a good trade? - How would you handle a spot that riders like but where drivers keep getting blocked or ticketed? - How would you roll out new pickup suggestions without confusing riders who are used to the old behavior?